Entertainment
‘Yellowstone’ cast haunts Kevin Costner after bitter actor departure
Kevin Costner made big stars out of most of them Yellowstone cast, but they have reportedly started ghosting the embattled actor-producer as he battles the show’s creator Taylor Sheridan and Paramount on his character’s ending, RadarOnline.com has learned.
Cole Hauser, Lucas Grimes, Kelly Reilly, WesBentley and others talked about the 69-year-old Dancing with wolves Oscar winner when he played the role of gritty, no-nonsense Montana ranch patriarch John Dutton Yellowstonebut have since turned their backs on Costner, sources said.
“They play nice and exchange pleasantries, but he doesn’t get the support he expected,” said an insider, “except for Kelly, who was famous for Sherlock Holmes films, Kevin has made most of these people the big stars that they are.”
The source also argued that “even Kelly’s star rose higher because she and Kevin played so well against each other.”
But now the cast members are in the middle of Costner’s feud with Sheridan, the insider revealed, saying they “didn’t want to get in trouble, so they froze him.”
“They don’t take sides, and that made Kevin bitter,” the tipster added.
Costner stepped away from the Modern Western series due to a scheduling conflict, later saying he did not shoot the second half of season 5 because “there was no script.”
He said he was frustrated with what he saw as a lack of support from Sheridan and studio execs amid the media storm that followed. He grumbled that they “didn’t stand up for me.”
The actor, whose on-screen portrayal of Dutton began in 2018, reportedly demanded “approval of the scriptand wanted the final say on how his character would be written off the show – but the studio refused.
“Now,” the insider claimed, “there are lawyers involved and no one is talking!”
Costner confirmed last week that he wouldn’t return on the show and said the decision was “necessary” after months of bitter negotiations.
“It wasn’t difficult,” Costner said The Hollywood Reporter this week, adding that he hoped his departure would send the message: “Okay, I don’t really want to talk about this anymore. It’s time to move on.”
“I gave this thing five seasons,” the Oscar winner explained, “I was really happy with it. And I don’t need drama. So let’s just take that drama away, let’s take the guessing out of it [away]. The fans have been way too good to me. And it’s my duty to keep going and keep making things that mean something to them.”
The fallout between Costner and his Yellowstone colleagues were also reportedly fueled by the actor’s demand to spend less time filming the show so he could focus on his other project, Horizon: an American saga.
Costner wrote, directed and starred in the multi-part series, which he reportedly spent $38 million of his own money to finance. The first film will be released in theaters on June 28, followed by Part 2 in August, and is expected to earn $12 million during its opening weekend.
